Tangled in the cords of a silvery net
a fisherman heaved up a tortoise one day
from out of the sapphire waves. He tossed
his good fortune into the back of his boat;
but the tortoise was a princess who took him
away to live in a land far across the sea.
Patriarch of a young community, nestled
under the blue shade […]
Under Saint Werburgh’s spired-gaze
not far from the rolling Chattenden fields
where prostrate Saxon kings lie impotent,
they buried the young girl alone
far from God’s searching eyes,
outside the hallow churchyard walls
where her severed head could never see
the Coming of the Christian god.
Last week, they reburied her brown bones
beside the intolerant who shunned her,
reunited her head and neck
in a […]
In youth, identity seems as certain as spring
or new paths blazed red beneath Mercurial feet
or muddy troughs cut between pews of wheat
their long stalks bent over in prayer
or as warm pavement black as basalt
winding up through the stone and light
of obsidian towers and blue mountain passes.
Guided not by stars, but whims and fortune
routes were picked […]
Some thoughts are dangerous
as June bears and berries,
awakening from a long slumber;
while the plump red fruit
hang low from the bush,
and lure the eye with promise,
those are the same ones
bear cubs cut their teeth on.
Best to skirt the dark edge,
avoid the sweet ones altogether
so as not to be eaten whole
by your hungry thoughts.
Perhaps there are no […]
drowning is overrated.
slipping in waist-deep ink
on a page, sad refrains grinding
bones to white crystal sands
bobbing a moment, surfacing
then sliding under
tugged by the fast current
to lose myself in a poem.
what could be more simple?
the brine taste of scallops
scoured words from my tongue
and left no more scar than
our last meal together
when you ordered the seafood penne
with white […]
